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tance； and all that flows from these … reprobation； with its dire shadows； assured Election with its joys； etc。； etc。
3。 If such a combination is in favour of the story…teller up to a certain point； it is not favourable to the highest flights； and it is alien to dramatic presentation pure and simple。 This implies detachment from moods and characters； high as well as low； that complete justice in presentation may be done to all alike； and the one balance that obtains in life grasped and repeated with emphasis。 But towards his leading characters Stevenson is unconsciously biassed； because they are more or less shadowy projections of himself； or images through which he would reveal one or other side or aspect of his own personality。 Attwater is a confessed failure； because it； more than any other； testifies this： he is but a mouth…piece for one side or tendency in Stevenson。 If the same thing is not more decisively felt in some other cases； it is because Stevenson there showed the better art o' hidin'； and not because he was any more truly detached or dramatic。 〃Of Hamlet most of all；〃 wrote Henley in his sonnet。 The Hamlet in Stevenson … the self…questioning； egotistic； moralising Hamlet … was； and to the end remained； a something alien to bold； dramatic； creative freedom。 He is great as an artist； as a man bent on giving to all that he did the best and most distinguished form possible； but not great as a free creator of dramatic power。 〃Mother；〃 he said as a mere child； 〃I've drawed a man。 Now； will I draw his soul？〃 He was to the end all too fond to essay a picture of the soul； separate and peculiar。 All the Jekyll and Hyde and even Ballantrae conceptions came out of that … and what is more； he always mixed his own soul with the other soul； and could not help doing so。
4。 When； therefore； I find Mr Pinero； in lecturing at Edinburgh； deciding in favour of Stevenson as possessed of rare dramatic power； and wondering why he did not more effectively employ it； I can't agree with him； and this because of the presence of a certain atmosphere in the novels； alien to free play of the individualities presented。 Like Hawthorne's； like the works of our great symbolists； they are restricted by a sense of some obtaining conception； some weird metaphysical WEIRD or preconception。 This is the ground 〃Ian MacLaren〃 has for saying that 〃his kinship is not with Boccaccio and Rabelais； but with Dante and Spenser〃 … the ground for many remarks by critics to the effect that they still crave from him 〃less symbol and more individuality〃 … the ground for the Rev。 W。 J。 Dawson's remark that 〃he has a powerful and persistent sense of the spiritual forces which move behind the painted shows of life； that he writes not only as a realist but as a prophet； his meanest stage being set with eternity as a background。〃
Such expressions are fullest justification for what we have here said： it adds； and can only add； to our admiration of Stevenson； as a thinker； seer； or mystic； but the asserting sense of such power can only end in lessening the height to which he could attain as a dramatic artist； and there is much indeed against Mr Pinero's own view that； in the dramas； he finds that 〃fine speeches〃 are ruinous to them as acting plays。 In the strict sense overfine speeches are yet almost everywhere。 David Balfour could never have writ some speeches attributed to him … they are just R。 L。 Stevenson with a very superficial difference that； when once detected； renders them curious and quaint and interesting； but not dramatic。
CHAPTER XIII … PREACHER AND MYSTIC FABULIST
IN reality； Stevenson is always directly or indirectly preaching a sermon … enforcing a moral … as though he could not help it。 〃He would rise from the dead to preach a sermon。〃 He wrote some first… rate fables； and might indeed have figured to effect as a moralist… fabulist； as truly he was from beginning to end。 There was a bit of Bunyan in him as well as of Aesop and Rousseau and Thoreau … the mixture that found coherency in his most peculiarly patient and forbearing temper is what gives at once the quaintness； the freedom； and yet the odd didactic something that is never wanting。 I remember a fable about the Devil that might well be brought in to illustrate this here … careful readers who neglect nothing that Stevenson wrote will remember it also and perhaps bear me out here。
But for the sake of the young folks who may yet have some leeway to make up； I shall indulge myself a little by quoting it： and； since I am on that tack； follow it by another which presents Stevenson in his favourite guise of quizzing his own characters； if not for his own advantage certainly for ours； if we would in the least understand the fine moralist…casuistical qualities of his mind and fancy：
THE DEVIL AND THE INNKEEPER
Once upon a time the devil stayed at an inn； where no one knew him； for they were people whose education had been neglected。 He was bent on mischief； and for a time kept everybody by the ears。 But at last the innkeeper set a watch upon the devil and took him in the act。
The innkeeper got a rope's end。
〃Now I am going to thrash you；〃 said the inn…keeper。
〃You have no right to be angry with me；〃 said the devil。 〃I am only the devil； and it is my nature to do wrong。〃
〃Is that so？〃 asked the innkeeper。
〃Fact； I assure you；〃 said the devil。
〃You really cannot help doing ill？〃 asked the innkeeper。
〃Not in the smallest；〃 said the devil； 〃it would be useless cruelty to thrash a thing like me。〃
〃It would indeed；〃 said the innkeeper。
And he made a noose and hanged the devil。
〃There！〃 said the innkeeper。
The deeper Stevenson goes； the more happily is he inspired。 We could scarcely cite anything more Stevensonian； alike in its humour and its philosophy； than the dialogue between Captain Smollett and Long John Silver； entitled THE PERSONS OF THE TALE。 After chapter xxxii。 of TREASURE ISLAND； these two puppets 〃strolled out to have a pipe before business should begin again； and met in an open space not far from the story。〃 After a few preliminaries：
〃You're a damned rogue； my man；〃 said the Captain。
〃Come； come； Cap'n； be just；〃 returned the other。 〃There's no call to be angry with me in earnest。 I'm on'y a character in a sea story。 I don't really exist。〃
〃Well； I don't really exist either；〃 says the Captain； 〃which seems to meet that。〃
〃I wouldn't set no limits to what a virtuous character might consider argument；〃 responded Silver。 〃But I'm the villain of the tale； I am； and speaking as one seafaring man to another； what I want to know is； what's the odds？〃
〃Were you never taught your catechism？〃 said the Captain。 〃Don't you know there's such a thing as an Author？〃
〃Such a thing as a Author？〃 returned John； derisively。 〃And who better'n me？ And the p'int is； if the Author made you； he made Long John； and he made Hands； and Pew； and George Merry … not that George is up to much； for he's little more'n a name； and he made Flint； what there is of him； and he made this here mutiny； you keep such a work abou